Atwo Zee, Registered Traveler

Before I wrecked my life and ended up on Florida’s Sex Offender registry I always intended to travel in my retirement. Now, after prison and probation, I am in fact retired, and “free,” and have not given up my dream of seeing natural wonders and historic sites, visiting great cities, traveling to as many places as possible within the restrictions placed on me as a registered citizen.

While I may attempt traveling the world in the future, everything I’ve heard and read about International Megan’s Law requirements makes it sound difficult and even dangerous for a registered person. I therefore decided that my own home country is a pretty big place that, so far at least, nobody can keep my out of. Including all of its states and territories the United States spans half the globe and extends from the arctic to the equator. A guy could spend his whole retirement traveling this great land and never really see all of it.

As many of you may have discovered, however, interstate travel as a registered citizen isn’t as simple as getting in your car and driving away. Unless you don’t mind the prospect of inadvertently violating the registry laws of either your own state or whatever state you’re in at the time and ending up back in prison for a registry violation, it’s crucial to be conversant with and obey the registry laws of every state you plan to pass thru, which for me is every US state and territory.

The starting point for my research was the chart “Summary of State and Territorial Registration Laws Concerning Visiting and Temporary Residence by Adults” available on the Association for Constitutional Sex Offender Laws (ACSOL) website. It’s a good summary chart, but it hadn’t been updated since 2018. Using the state statute references in the ACSOL chart I downloaded every state and territory’s registry laws, read them all, updated the information on the chart and corrected any errors that I found.

I also obtained a list of phone numbers for all 50 states’ SOR offices, and called every state to ask supplemental questions. As you might expect, some SOR offices don’t answer the phone and never call back if you leave repeated messages. Some states SOR offices have outgoing messages that don’t allow you to leave a message but only refer you to unhelpful online FAQ documents. Nevertheless, I found that when I was able to speak to a real person (which was about half the time) the SOR office personnel were uniformly courteous and willing to provide helpful answers to my questions.

The result of my research is the new and improved “Summary of State and Territorial Registration Laws Concerning Visiting and Temporary Residence by Adults” chart. CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW. My plan is to keep re-researching and updating this chart for at least the next ten years (i.e. 2021-2031) while I travel the USA.

However, all of this research – whether the state laws themselves, written responses to letters, or the oral responses by a random person in a state SOR office – may bear no relation at all to what you or I may experience if pulled over by an over-eager redneck sheriff’s deputy because you have a blown tail light. Do you want to be the first person to test the limits of any of this? I’ll bet the answer to that is NO.

So be careful out there, and safe travels!

Legal Disclaimer

I AM NOT AN ATTORNEY. THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR QUALIFIED LEGAL ADVICE.

Because sex offender laws are frequently revised by legislatures and reviewed by courts, the most current version of the applicable laws should be consulted and can generally be found by using your search engine to locate the statutes referenced on this site. This website does not include all laws that may apply to registrants in any particular state.

Updated 9/22 State & Territorial Visitor Registration Laws Guide

Click HERE. It'll pop up on your screen in a separate window.

Summary Map Click HERE. It'll pop up on your screen in a separate window.

Updated 9/22 State & Territorial Visitor Registration Laws for FORMER & LONG-TERM Registrants

MANY REGISTRANTS DO NOT UNDERSTAND that most states have registration laws that apply to out-of-state visitors even if you have served your registration duty in your state of offense and are no longer required to register there. Violating these states' laws during your visit can get you caught in these states' registries or even incarcerated EVEN THOUGH you have been removed from your own state's registry!

Furthermore, you may be surprised to learn that some states' registration laws may not apply to visiting registrants who have, in your state of offense, served your registration duty for the number of years specified by law in the state you are visiting - even if you are still on the registry in your state of offense.

Because confusion surrounding this issue will be a growing problem as more and more Americans (including myself) become long-term or former registrants, I have researched the registration laws of every U.S. state and territory related to this issue.

Click HERE to see this new research.

NEW! 11/23 My 2023 NARSOL conference domestic travel presentation

I have given several presentations on domestic travel at NARSOL and other national conferences. My presentation at the 2023 NARSOL conferences was recorded and is now available as a You Tube video.

This is about an hour long but contains a lot of information about domestic travel, so Click HERE to watch.

The Traveling Registrant

The Once Fallen website offers this must-read information for all registrants planning to travel. Click here: http://www.oncefallen.com/travel.html

Unwelcome Images

My personal story of prison, probation and ... redemption? is posted on Medium. If you're interested you can click here:

https://therabbitisin.com/unwelcome-images-c06a3760b11a

Your first hurdle:

Permission to leave town

My state of offense (Florida) has a registry law that, like those of many other states, is completely silent on the question of what notice I as a registered person have to provide in the event that I intend to travel out of state temporarily but have no intention of establishing any “permanent residence,” “temporary residence” or “transient residence” in any other state. Instead, Florida’s SOR law reads as follows:

“A sexual offender who intends to establish a permanent, temporary, or transient residence in another state or jurisdiction other than the State of Florida shall report in person to the sheriff of the county of current residence within 48 hours before the date he or she intends to leave this state to establish residence in another state or jurisdiction … The sexual offender shall provide to the sheriff the address, municipality, county, [and] state … of intended residence … The department shall notify the statewide law enforcement agency, or a comparable agency, in the intended state [or] jurisdiction … of the sexual offender’s intended residence. The failure of a sexual offender to provide his or her intended place of residence is punishable as [a third degree felony].”

943.0435(7) FS.

Apparently, the drafters of Florida’s SOR law – and the many similarly worded statutes of other US states – never anticipated that a registered person would ever leave their state for any other reason than to establish a “permanent residence,” “temporary residence” or “transient residence” wherever they're going. Therefore I assume that I and many of you could legitimately assume we would be within our legal rights to just leave our state without telling anybody as long as you have no intention of, and scrupulously avoid, establishing any kind of residence that would violate your state’s statutes.

However, I DO NOT recommend doing this under any circumstances.

Why? Because there’s a 120% chance that your local sheriff’s department believes you have to tell them you’re leaving and where you’re going no matter what your state’s SOR law says or doesn’t say. Suppose you get pulled over somewhere for having a blown tail light. The sheriff’s deputy looks you up and discovers you’re an out-of-state registered offender. Next, he calls local law enforcement in your home state and asks, “Hey, did y’all know this guy was here?” They of course will say “No, we didn’t even know he left our state and we think that’s a registry violation – he is an ABSCONDER!” at which point you’ll be arrested, handcuffed and sent back to prison.

I don’t know about you, but that’s not how I want to spend my vacation.

Therefore I strongly suggest that you visit your local sheriff’s department or registry office and inform them of your intention to travel. I did this for the first time in October 2020, and have traveled out of state frequently since then, each time making sure to do so “within 48 hours before the date he or she intends to leave this state.”

Having gained some experience with traveling while registered I offer you the following advice:

Always notify your local law enforcement of your intention to travel and provide as much detail as possible about your travel plans. In particular, it helps to have at least one specific destination for your trip. Your local law enforcement is expecting you to have a destination. You probably do have at least one destination, and if it’s not a friend or relative’s home you probably had to make some kind of reservation ahead of time. Either way you know at least one address where you’ll be, so give it to the staff person behind the glass. They will feel more comfortable with this even if your plans include extended time to get to and return from the specific destination(s), during which you’ll be enjoying yourself.

I have found that if I give a general description of your travel, like some of the states you’ll be passing through, the staff person will happily enter that onto whatever form their filling out as “additional notes.” This may actually help you in case you get pulled over someplace because when the sheriff’s deputy calls your home state it’s all right there in the computer.

Recently I established a summer home in Iowa. Unlike Florida and many other states, Iowa’s registry law explicitly, but clumsily, addresses out-of-state travel. It says:

“[A] sex offender, within five business days of a change, shall also appear in person to notify the sheriff of the county of principal residence [i.e. the principle residence in Iowa], of any location in which the offender is staying when away from the principal residence of the offender for more than five days, by identifying the location and the period of time the offender is staying in such location.” 692A.105 IS.

While I was at my new Iowa sheriff’s department registering, getting photographed, fingerprinted and providing a DNA sample, I took the opportunity to ask how travel was going to work in my new state. I pointed out that although I can always provide a destination when traveling, there is no way I’ll be able provide locations and addresses ahead of time for every campground or motel room I might be staying at along the way.

The lady behind the bullet-proof glass stated that their policy for this type of travel is that I will need to keep a travel log for each trip, which I will need to turn in upon my return. This just shows how local sheriff’s departments come up with some policy to deal with these situations. As you know from reading elsewhere on this blog, I recommend you always keep a travel log as well as all receipts just in case you need to prove your whereabouts, so this sheriff’s department requirement, while ridiculous, turns out not to be a problem for me or anyone following my recommendations.

Monday, July 3, 2023

Missouri

Meramec Caverns

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

R.S. Mo. 2019. R.S. Mo. §43.650. R.S. Mo. §566.147 through 566.150. R.S. Mo. §§589.400 through 589.426. AWA Compliant .

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 days for initial registration and updates.

"Residence" is defined as “any place where an offender sleeps for seven or more consecutive or nonconsecutive days or nights within a twelve-month period” §589.404(5).

Visitors: “Any registered offender from another state who has a temporary residence in this state and resides more than seven days in a twelve-month period shall register for the duration of such person's temporary residency” §589.400.11. However, “temporary residence” is not defined.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: offenders may not reside w/in 1,000 ft. of school or child care center. §566.147.

Presence restriction: offenders cannot be present w/in 500 ft. of school, day care center, park with playground equipment, childrens athletic facility, pool, or Missouri department of conservation nature or education center. §§566.147-566.150. Updated Aug. 2022.

Missouri applies Halloween restrictions to all registrants, including sign posting mandate. §589.426.

Duration & updates:

15 years to life. Updates: Tier III – 90 days. Tier I & II – every 6 mo. §589.400

View of Downtown Kansas City from the WWI Memorial

Most recent visit: June 2023

Missouri is a beautiful state, but you’ll have to be pretty darned careful if you travel there. Visitors must register if in the state for more than 7 days in a 12-month period. §589.400.11. That makes this state precisely twice as restrictive as Indiana, which allows visitors 7 days in any six month period. However Missouri defines “residence” as a place where you sleep. So presumably, like Illinois, if you can drive through without ever stopping to sleep that partial day won’t count against your annual total – but if you do stop to sleep the partial days on both sides of that restful night will count and you will have chewed up two of your annual 7 day total.

Worse, Missouri imposes several onerous restrictions that you should assume will apply to you as a visitor:

Offenders may not reside w/in 1,000 ft. of a school or child care center. §566.147. Since I am from Florida, where similar restrictions apply, I can tell you 1000 feet can be a pretty hard standard to meet. Be careful in selecting your motel room.
Missouri applies Halloween restrictions to all registrants, including a sign posting mandate. §589.426. So just don’t be there on Halloween.
Offenders cannot be present w/in 500 ft. of school, day care center, park with playground equipment (which is most of them), or swimming pool. §§566.147-150. Recently they added childrens athletic facilities and Missouri department of conservation nature or education centers (whatever they are) to that list. You may want to think twice, for example, about a motel with a pool. You may say, oh please! It’s just one night and who’s going to check? But my job here is to warn you about any potential problems you may face while traveling.

Missouri’s restriction against being present at or within 500 feet of a “park with playground equipment” is especially problematic for vacationers. If you think about that wording – it could be a 1000 acre state park and yet if it had just one playground anywhere, you can’t go anywhere in that park. It makes no sense, but it means most state or local parks are OUT. For all these reasons I have to give Missouri a travel rating of 4 thumb screws.

However, when it comes to national parks you’re probably okay because quite frankly there are few if any national “parks.” Yes, St. Louis’s Gateway Arch is definitely a park but has no playground. What about Ozark National Scenic Riverway? Is that a park, and if so who’s jurisdiction is it in? Mark Twain National Forest, which is extensive and includes many Ozark attractions, is definitely not a park. And speaking of Mark Twain, his Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal is a privately owned attraction, not a park.

I have passed through Missouri without sleeping twice this year, most recently in June 2023 on my way to the NARSOL Conference in Houston. Traveling south on I-35 my first stop was at Jesse James’ family home, which like Twain’s home is not a park but a privately owned attraction. Then I visited downtown Kansas City, rode their trolley and saw the City Market, Union Station and the National WWI Historic Monument & Park. There’s no playground there either so it was no problem.

Then I had Kansas City BBQ at Slap’s, but that’s in the other Kansas City in Kansas – so when I found a nearby motel I wasn’t “sleeping” in Missouri. Therefore even though I came back and spent a second partial day it was still zero days as far as Missouri’s registry is concerned. George Washington Carver’s boyhood home is fascinating, it’s a National Monument not a park, and it has no playground so you’re good to go.

Mark Twain House, Hannibal

In May 2023, Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home was my first stop after entering the state from Iowa on U.S. 61. It’s an interesting attraction and includes many restored original buildings occupied and owned by the childhood friends and neighbors who inspired Twain’s most famous characters.

Continuing south, my second stop of the day was downtown St. Louis. On a previous trip some years ago, before I was forced to register, I had been to the Arch and ridden the elevator to the top. On this trip I decided to avoid any questions about where I am allowed to be by skipping the Arch and exploring other areas.

Again you may say, oh please! I’m only here for a few hours and who is ever going to notice if I stroll through a city park that happens to have a playground? If you are a Missouri registrant you may say I’m being too paranoid – that the police in St. Louis have much more pressing priorities than to bust registrants for the crime of being 490 feet from a park. But here again my job is to warn you about the restrictions you may face as a traveling registrant, and to act accordingly in my own travels so I can report it all to you.

Upon leaving St. Louis I crossed over into Illinois, so I did not sleep in Missouri on this trip either. My most recent overnight stay was in April 2022, more than 12 months previous, so I assume I still have a clean slate of seven days and six sleeping nights available to me any time I need them.

Now that I have a summer home in Iowa and a winter home in Florida I travel back and forth several times per year, and one of the best routes for this long two day trip is south through Missouri. However the half-way point for this route is not in Missouri but rather at either Memphis (if I continue south on I-55 from St. Louis) or Nashville (if I turn east from St. Louis). Therefore I have been safely passing though without sleeping, hoarding my 7 days per 12 months for when I wanted to spend more time in this beautiful state.

Before this year, April 2022 was the first time I purposefully slowed down to actually see some of Missouri as part of my Deep South Tour. Entering from Arkansas late in the afternoon my first task was to find a campground. And remember, it couldn’t be at any state or local park for fear there might be a playground lurking somewhere. Fortunately Mark Twain National Forest was there with several options to choose from. As I noted above, however, staying at a National Forest campground automatically logged in two days toward my seven per 12 months, even though I had only been in state for a few hours before settling in for the night.

South Central Missouri is cave and cavern territory, so once I started cruising along I-44 there were lots of billboards advertising them. The most advertised is Meramec Cavern, which is privately owned and not to be confused with Meramec Springs State Park. The cavern tour was worth the stop. After that I roamed northeasterly through the state until I joined up with my usual route up US 61, crossing the state line in mid-afternoon on my way to a fabulous Iowa cheese creamery and reaching my Iowa home by supper time.

Atwo Zee, Registered Traveler

Monday, July 3, 2023

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